Pickup trucks and other related vehicles have a rear window (commonly known as a backlite) that is mounted in a vehicle body opening, often immediately behind seats in a vehicle passenger compartment. Typically, such backlites are supplied to vehicle manufacturers as a modular (one piece or as a stand-alone frame) assembly allowing for ready installation in new vehicles being manufactured on an assembly line.
In some of these vehicles, the backlite is provided with a sliding panel mechanism and a seal system (commonly known as a slider), which opens and closes over an opening in the backlite, so as to allow, for example, outside air to enter the vehicle compartment and to allow for passing of objects through the backlite opening. Sliders, in which a sliding panel moves in either a horizontal direction or a vertical direction, typically comprise at least one sliding panel that utilizes frame channels, rails, or tracks to facilitate sliding motion. In addition, a frame, with an attached seal(s), cooperates with the sliding panel to seal out moisture and noise from entering the vehicle compartment at the periphery of the backlite opening.
In addition to the slider panel, some slider assemblies have two fixed panels (hence, they are known as partial sliders), which typically are positioned on either side of the backlite opening. Each fixed panel has a substantially vertically oriented panel edge, on which a vertical track and/or division post are often disposed.
Typically for horizontal sliders, the backlite opening is further defined by an upper header member and a lower beltline support member. In addition, for the horizontal sliders, the slider panel is typically moved in a horizontal direction behind one or both of the fixed panels that span the vehicle opening along horizontal tracks that are commonly disposed on or near the fixed panels, and then, is moved to cover the backlite opening. These movements of the sliding panel may be provided by manual or electro-mechanical means.
Some slider assemblies are further designated as being flush, where the sliding panel is in the plane of the fixed panel(s) when the sliding panel completely closes the backlite opening, or the complete window assembly may be in the plane of a vehicle body panel. Various ways to achieve flush orientation to fixed panels are, for example, by utilizing guide pins, ramps, and cams to move the sliding panel into the backlite opening.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,641,265 to Seiple (hereinafter Seiple) teaches a flush slider, where upper and lower leading guide paths are “S” shaped and each trailing guide path is shaped in a perpendicular manner at one end, which causes the sliding panel to smoothly enter and seal the window opening in a flush manner. In addition, this patent discloses an aesthetically pleasing flush-flush slider which results when the sliding panel is in the plane of the window opening and further in the plane of the outer vehicle body panel. This patent is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,224 to Jelens, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,214 to Buening, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,284 to Freimark et al. provide various other forms of sliding panel assemblies. Although these window assemblies might satisfy a current automotive industry styling need, it does not appear that these flush designs have been utilized to any degree by the automotive industry in, for example, pickup trucks.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,840 to Ray et al. discloses a heated sliding window assembly that has two fixed panels separated by a sliding panel, all of which have separate electrically conductive heating grids disposed thereon. The three conductive heating grids are arranged in a series circuit, with the sliding panel grid circuit portion being located between the two fixed panels. In order for electricity to flow through any or all of the three grids in this series arrangement, the sliding panel must be closed over the backlite opening.
Ray controls the electrical power, for a manually operated slider assembly, through the use of a latch keeper and latch base that are disposed oppositely on either side of the sliding panel. Consequently, when the sliding panel is closed, electricity flows through all three grids on the three panels (fixed, sliding, and fixed). In much the same way, for an automatically operated slider assembly (so-called powered slider), Ray uses a keeper member and base member to control the electrical power from one fixed panel to the sliding panel, and then on to the second fixed panel. Consequently, Ray's heated sliders do not allow for heating the fixed panels or the sliding panel when the sliding panel is not completely closed over the backlite opening.
Also, it is known that utilizing electrical circuitry in the presence of moisture may raise serious concerns. In light of these concerns, Ray's heated slider assembly makes the connections between the three grids in the latch area of the sliding panel, which is above the lower portion of the slider assembly. Also, the Ray design avoids allowing electrical power to be connected to even the fixed panels when the sliding panel is open.
U.S. Patent Publication 2010/0154312 to Gipson et al. (hereinafter Gipson) describes wide electrical contact strips disposed on the fixed panel that are provided throughout a range of the movement of the sliding panel. The strips, which provide power to a sliding panel, are visually seen. Hence, the Gipson device detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the overall slider panel assembly and Gipson does not teach a window opening frame.
U.S. Patent Publication 2011/0030276 to Smith et al. (hereinafter Smith) describes a flat cable spooling device on the fixed panel that spools out or recoils a flat flexible cable which provides a source of electrical power to a connector on a sliding panel by way of a lower fixed panel frame member. The flexible cable may be covered by a sleeve that is disposed from one side of the backlite to the window opening, wherein the flexible cable stretches out from or is recoiled into the flat cable spooling device. The spooling device, sliding panel connector, and sleeve are visibly seen protruding into the vehicle compartment. Smith also discloses a raceway within the fixed panel frame for providing power to the sliding panel. Hence, the Smith device detracts from the aesthetic appearance of the overall slider panel assembly and Smith does not teach a window opening frame.
It is known that a slider assembly is exposed to moisture. Thus, the slider assembly must block the entrance of moisture into a vehicle compartment when the slider panel closes the backlite opening. However, when the slider assembly has been opened in the presence of moisture, any moisture that can and/or has entered into the vehicle compartment, especially near the lower portion of the slider assembly, must not be able to affect the electrical wiring.
With these considerations in mind, what is sought is a heated slider panel assembly that can function in a flush orientation, where the exterior surface of the heated sliding panel can be placed into the same plane as the exterior surface of a heated or non-heated fixed panel(s). Also sought is a heated slider panel assembly that can function in a flush-flush orientation where the exterior surface of the heated sliding panel is not only placed in the same plane as the exterior surface of a heated or non-heated fixed panel(s), but where the exterior surface of the heated sliding panel is also placed in the same plane as the outer vehicle body panel surface, when the sliding panel is closed.
Further, the electrical connections and wiring of such a heated slider panel assembly need to be applied in a reliable and safe manner since these connections will be exposed to various forms of moisture (e.g., ice, snow, rain). It is preferred that the supplying of electrical power to the heated sliding panel is independent of the supplying of electrical power to the heated fixed panel(s). Also, the wiring of such a heated slider panel assembly should not impede the functioning of the overall slider panel assembly and should not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the overall slider panel assembly.